US issues over one million visas for second consecutive year, India tops international student rankings | India News


NEW DELHI: The United States issued more than one million non-immigrant visas to Indians for the second consecutive year, including a record number of visitor visas.
According to a statement from the US mission in the country, India also became the top source of international students in 2024, the first time since the 2008/2009 academic year, with more than 331,000 students enrolled.
Additionally, India maintained its position as the largest contributor of international postgraduate students for two consecutive years, with a 19 per cent increase to nearly 200,000.
The mission to India further underlined the enormous demand by Indians to travel to the US for tourism, business and education, highlighting that in the last four years, the number of visitors from India has quintupled and more than two million Indians traveled to the United States. United States in the first eleven months of 2024, an increase of 26 percent over the same period in 2023.
More than five million Indians already have a nonimmigrant visa to visit the United States and every day the mission issues thousands more, according to the statement issued by the United States embassy in India.

National renewal of H-1B visas

The State Department also successfully implemented a pilot program for H-1B visa renewals within the United States this year, benefiting numerous Indian workers in specialty occupations who were able to renew their visas without leaving the country. The Department aims to formally establish this national renewal program in 2025, following the success of the pilot in simplifying the process for thousands of people.
The U.S. Mission to India processed numerous immigrant visas, allowing for legal family reunions and professional migration. Upon arrival, these visa recipients were granted permanent residency status, enriching the important Indian diaspora community in the United States.
More than 24,000 US citizens in India received passports and consular assistance from the US Mission. In 2024, an enhanced version of the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) was launched, improving emergency communication and distribution of safety alerts to US citizens, according to the release.
Processing of visa applications from non-immigrants eligible for interview waiver increased significantly, facilitating visa renewal for Indians. Through operational improvements and the utilization of global resources, the Mission improved its capacity to conduct in-person interviews, resulting in reduced waiting periods.
The removal of India from the Exchange Visitor Skills List has removed the two-year residence requirement in the home country for many exchange visitors, providing better opportunities for career advancement and education. This change offers greater flexibility to Indian J-1 nonimmigrant visa holders.





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